Reducing the number of counterfeit tobacco products should be in the common interest of the state and legal manufacturers. At the same time, there should be a clear understanding that only indisputable evidence from forensic experts makes it possible to bring offenders to justice. Thus, the fight against the illicit tobacco market is a joint and complex task. This opinion was voiced by Oleksandr Ruvin, Director of Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, in an exclusive interview with UNN.
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"It is the expertise that is evidence in court, so this is a joint task for both expert institutions and law enforcement agencies, all government agencies involved. Of course, the processes are very complicated, not all manufacturers are open to cooperation, and there are other difficulties. There are major players in Ukraine - tobacco manufacturers are large companies that are interested in ensuring that both the state and themselves do not suffer losses from counterfeiting. After all, if there are fewer counterfeits, the manufacturer will sell more of its legal products, make more profit, and, accordingly, more taxes will go to the state budget. They are ready to provide all samples, open data, and cooperate in every way. However, there are cases where the opposite is true, and it is logical to assume that in those cases there are a lot of risks, we are talking about very large-scale losses for the state, which are measured in huge amounts," Ruvin said.
In principle, the Director of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise positively assesses the government's decision to create a Unified State Register of Equipment for the Preparation or Processing of Tobacco, Tobacco Raw Materials, and Industrial Production of Tobacco Products on the basis of the Tax Service. At the same time, according to Ruvin, this Register should probably complement the large-scale work on de-shadowing the tobacco market and function as efficiently as possible.
He also recalled that at one time there was an idea to create a thematic register of producers.
"The State Tax Service provided us with a list of companies licensed to sell tobacco products - more than 50 representatives. Next, the companies were supposed to provide us with reference product samples. We received some of the information, but this work is not being used as effectively as it could be.
In addition, the experts have all the technical capabilities to conduct, let's say, direct monitoring visits to production facilities. The steps are simple: experts arrive, produce a few packs in their presence, quickly analyze all the characteristics on site (tobacco, packaging, filter elements, other components and their characteristics), and draw a conclusion here and now.
Resolutions on the appointment of expert examinations to investigate the facts of illegal tobacco production are now coming in dozens a day, and the state must have clarity on this issue," Ruvin said.
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Earlier, Ruvin saidthat the creation of a unified library of tobacco product samples on the basis of Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise will significantly expand the range of state opportunities to de-shadow this market. He also reminded that in 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine designated the Institute as the main state expert institution responsible for conducting forensic examinations to establish the authenticity of tobacco products and identify the equipment on which they are manufactured.